Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-15
FOLSOM PRISON.
WHO HAVE BEEN CON.
FINED In SOLITARY CELLS.
The Inquiry Ends in a Fizzle-The
Prison Management Exonerated
by the Directors Report.

the alleged cruel treatment of prisoners in
solitary confinement. Present, Directors
FIlcher, Boggs, Sonntag, Devlin and Wilk-
ms, President Boggs presiding. Several
| newspaper representatives were present, as
were also Secretary of State Hendricks,
Judge VIM. A. Wallace. Father Gualco, DR..
Durant, the Warden and several of the
prison officials.
The minutes OF the previous meeting
were read and approved.
President Boggs said he understood this
was an adjourned meeting of the Directors
called to inquire into the alleged cruelty to
prisoners and suggested that they proceed
with the inquiry where they left off
Mr.. Filcher suggested, in order to facil-
ltate business, that they examine all the
prisoners and then examine the officials
regarding all that had been testified
Mr. Sonntag-Then bring in Tommy
Brown.
Mr.. Devlin-Let us go into examination
OF the prisoners until noon, and then we
can decide what we will do regarding the
testimony of the officials.
| Warden McComb said he thought il only
fair to continue the examination as COM
menced. Examine the prisoners and allow
the officers to testify in rebuttal, and make
such explanations as are required immedi-
ately afterwards.
THE NOTORIOUS TOMMY BROWN.
Tommy Brown, one of the most daring
stage robbers and jail-breakers in Califor-
MIA, was. the first prisoner called. AS he
| entered the room with one of the prison
| officials he spoke pleasantly to the Direct
ors, and, turning to the reporters, he gave
| them a whitening glance, as much as to
say, " Get outT Tommy is small of stature
rather good looking and says his age is So
year. He is serving sentence of seven-
teen years for robbins stage in Shasta
| When Brown took his seat, and before
question could be put to him, he said: ' 1
would like to prove my character before
this investigation proceeds"
| Who do you propose to prove it by ?"
said President Boggs.
by the prison officials" replied Tommy.
| have been accused of lying by Captain
| Chambers"
You are not on trial. Tommy" OBJ
served Devlin.
know that, but want to prove nv
character. | want to establish my reputa-
ton for truth so that they can't come back
upon me the same as Captain Chambers
did on former occasion, when he said
lied"
Brown was assured by the members of
the Board that compliance with his re-
quest was wholly unnecessary. The bold
highwayman then, with an injured air,
| commenced, in response to questions, to
| relate his experience ION the road" and
within the prison walls. His story is an
| interesting one, and its narration was
closely listened to bv all present. When
be first came to the prison he worked for
seven months in the shoe and tailor shops.
He won the confidence of the officials and
was made trusty, and put on the inner
gate, and occupied a seat at the mutton
chop table for four years. He says: L
was thrown off the gate and put to work in
the quarry by Captain Chambers. This was
done without cause. | was afterwards nut
back on the gate where / remained for
six months. then asked to be put off
the gate ana into the quarry, thinking
the outdoor work would be beneficial to
my health. | was afterwards transferred
from the lower to the upper quarry, where
met with an accident and laid up for a
while. When / got better | was made
steward of the officers quarters. While
holding, that position got away, made my
escape, but after being at liberty nine days
was captured by Sheriff Thorne in Calaveras
county. My escape was made in June.
1886. Prior to my escape | was treated
well enough. had seat at the mutton
chop table for four years or more, and
while steward in the officers quarters had
the same fare they did. Since nv return
to the prison have been treated badly. /
was put in cell Nc. 235 and kept in solitary
confinement for six months. Then 1 was
transferred to cell 345 on the top tier where
| put in another six months of solitary.
From there | was moved into cell 24S.
| uharp ! EQpf
time was moved it was at my own request
as did not like my cell-mate Reeves. He
called me vile names and | stabbed him y
, One of the Directors asked him where he
got the knife and he replied, THAT is my
secret. | had it about month. After the
stabbing dropped it in the alley"
The knife was shown him, and he said ;
Yes, that's it. got it after got out of
solitary. l did not make the knife. but
you can consider that l did; l won't say
that made it or did not make it.p Brown
then related his trouble with Reeves, which
has been heretofore referred to in the
RECORD UNION. Since the cutting scrape,
have been locked up in solitary. ] am al
lowed to walk an hour every afternoon in
the upper corridor. While in solitary the
first thirteen months, had but little exer-
else: part of the time had walks once or
twice week; for nine months had no
exercise. For breakfast had beans, coffee
and bread: at noon, sometimes soup. at
other times boiled beef or roast mutton !;
had bean supper. The bread was good
enough, what we got of it. We were al
lowed one small loaf day, while could
eat loaf and half. The beans were not
often well cooked, and often had too much
saleratus IN them. However, we got plenty
of beans. When sick, got milk and mush
and the usual hospital diet Haven't felt
well for year or two; given two suits a
year, the same as other prisoners; only
drew one the last year; they are good of
the kind: we get two pair breecbes, two
shirts, two coats, and two hats. There
is nothing stylish about them you see
for yourselves what they are. No they
are not worn out; they cover my naked
ness yet. | asked Captain Paul for more
clothes. He said he would get them if he
could. never received any punishment
at this prison except solitary confinement.
Had not an opportunity TO wash my face
for two months"
"Did you say" asked Director Sonntae
that you had not had an opportunity to
wash your face for three months while in
solitary"
mo didn't" answered Brown, surlily,
II said two months"
"You did not have your face washed for
two months"
NO.
We'll, how often did you get shaved?n
Every two or three weeks. Once was
not shaved for six weeks
did not the barber wash your face?r
He wet it a little and rubbed it dry.u
You had water in your cell, did you
not? Why could you not wash yourselfPn
Il had no facilities. There was no
basin.''
What kind of basin did you want?r
asked Mr.. Sonntag.
"An ordinary basin"
You wanted soap and towels, did you2u
mo. | could have got along without
them''
How often was your hair cut?"
"Once it was not cut for three months
No; 1t was not longer then than now
HE DRAWS THE LINE AT BEpBues.
He said when he first went into SOLITARY
he was given pair and half of blankets
and was afterwards given another pair.
Director Sonntag asked: Tommy. your
bedding and clothes were free from vermin.
were they not ?''
"0h, yes" J" replied Brown, leaving out
few bedbugsn
Continuing the prisoner said the solitary